Digital Commons Network^™

From Awareness To Action: Enhancing Medication Safety Culture To Improve Outcomes, Joseph A. Mensah

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project was to evaluate how a culture of medication safety can improve healthcare outcomes. Medication errors persist and remain the leading cause of preventable injury, highlighting the necessity to enhance the culture of medication safety in healthcare. The population for this project included clinical staff within a military healthcare setting. A quantitative survey assessed perceptions of medication safety, confidence levels, and obstacles to error reporting within the organization. The survey results revealed that 28% of clinical staff had not received medication safety training in the past year, 55% were not confident in medication administration, and 25% …

Balance And Blend: Quality Of Life And Work-Life Balance In Military Reservist Band Directors, Jeremy Ryan White

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the research on work-life balance and stress management in various fields and stages of life, the perspectives of music educators serving in the military as part-time reservist musicians have yet to be explored. Teachers with a desire to serve in the military may find the part-time status appealing, as most duties are performed on weekends or during the summer. While there are many benefits to serving one’s country as a reservist, this second career may place added stress on the service members and their families. This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study will gather data via qualitative surveys collected from Military …

The Experience Of Students With Low Academics In Inner-City High Schools Who Received Tutoring Outside Of School Hours: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Nadine Powell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the lived experience of students with low academic achievement in inner-city high schools in New York City who received academic tutoring outside of school hours. The theory guiding this study was Gay’s culturally responsive teaching (CRT), as it emphasized educational equality for ethnically diverse learners and educators’ cultural competence for effective learning experiences, in this case, tutoring. The central research question was: What are the lived experiences of students in inner-city high schools with low academics receiving tutoring outside of school hours? A qualitative transcendental phenomenological methodology was chosen to …

Perceptions Of Congregational Engagement In Evangelical Church Worship Programs, Tim Allums

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite existing research on worship leader training and choosing music for congregational worship, a study on the perceptions of congregational worship engagement from the perspectives of worship leaders and congregants has yet to be examined. Congregational worship is formational and helps believers continue to grow in their faith by singing their praise to God with one voice and declaring the tenets of their shared faith. This study sought to reveal perceptions of worship engagement by surveying nineteen worship leaders and one hundred fifteen congregants from thirty-nine evangelical churches around the United States to identify the musical aspects that either enhance …

An Analysis Of The Adequacy Of Preparation For The Totality Of Worship Leadership, Michael Kenneth Geake

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the gradual transition of “music minister” into “worship leader,” preparation and training for the expanded roles may be considered slow in terms of total responsibilities. While degree programs have incorporated in-depth coursework in essential ministry topics – such as theology, discipleship, and evangelism – there has been little recognition of their roles as managers and counselors. Many of these programs prepare students for jobs that no longer exist. This study focuses on the worship leader, both as a student and as one who has already started their career, with responsibilities in the church and to their family. Through qualitative …

The Interplay Between Hospitality And Patronage In The Greco-Roman World And Its Implications For Reading Third John, Julie L. Denham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation will seek to explore the social concepts found within the Book of Third John, examining the intricate and nuanced relationship between hospitality and patronage in early first-century Christian communities. By employing a comprehensive approach that integrates historical, cultural, and theological methodologies, this study aims to delve deeply into the multifaceted roles these practices played in shaping the social, spiritual, and theological framework of the early Church. Specifically, this dissertation seeks to address the following questions: How did first-century Christian communities navigate the interplay between hospitality and patronage as reflected in Third John? How did these practices influence communal …

Common Ground: A Phenomenological Ethnographic Inquiry In Intercultural Communication, Telling Stories With The Oglala Lakota People On The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Sd, Laura C. Fong

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

An interdisciplinary and collaborative movement in cross-cultural research is emerging and challenging Western academic practices in the United States. As a non-indigenous Communications scholar working on the Pine Ridge Reservation, I was unable to find a model, or scholarship that included the practical application of theory and methods for scholarship with Indigenous Americans. Over a ten-year period, I documented stories and worked with Lakota elder Unci Rita Long Visitor Holy Dance and her son Nathan Blindman to develop a mutually beneficial working relationship.

Successful cross-cultural scholarship using Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodologies, Intercultural Communication Theory …

Improving Patient Satisfaction With Discharge And Recovery Preparedness, Leanne N. Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (OAS-CAHPS) survey is a standardized tool healthcare organizations utilize to measure patient perceptions of care. The survey results are linked to reimbursement by many insurers, making it prudent for health systems to work toward increasing patient satisfaction with their care. This evidence-based practice project followed the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice to implement a quasi-experimental pilot that would determine whether providing written and verbal patient discharge education in both the preoperative phase of care and the postoperative phase of care compared to only the postoperative phase of care …

Remind: Raising Awareness Of Nurse Burnout Using An Educational Intervention, Emily Louise Missimer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Burnout is an international occupational phenomenon that can negatively impact one’s physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. Although burnout affects all occupations, professionals working in the healthcare field are known to be at high risk for occupational burnout secondary to factors such as high-stress environments, critically ill patients, increased patient care requirements, frequent exposure to mortality, and shiftwork with long hours, among other factors. Of the subgroup of healthcare providers, it is also widely known that nurses who have a high exposure to death, such as hospice nurses, are at an even higher risk for occupational burnout. At a hospice care …

First-Generation College Students' Transition Experiences After A Bridge Program, Alison Irvine Mcmurry

Theses and Dissertations

First-generation college students (FGCS) often encounter greater challenges than their peers. Universities offer transition programs like bridge programs, orientations, and advising, but service gaps contribute to FGCS difficulties. Bridge programs are often implemented for specific student groups that the university believes to be at-risk or more vulnerable than their peers. Targeted students are asked to come to campus early for additional training, education, and advising. The program is thought to bridge the gap between what they know and what they need to know to be college-ready and on-level with their peers. This case study examines the transition experiences of seven …

Anticholinergic Burden In People With Intellectual Disability In Psychiatric Inpatient Units: Practice And Audit Recommendations, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

Introduction: Anticholinergic burden (ACB) is the cumulativeeffect of taking multiple medications with anticholinergic properties. ACB is associated with polypharmacy, increased comorbidity, and premature mortality in people with intellectualdisability (PwID). No clinical standards for ACB monitoring specific to PwID exist, particularly in psychiatric inpatient unitswhere the risk of ACB is highest.Method: We used the ACB Calculator and Anticholinergic Effecton Cognition (AEC) scale to compute ACB scores in two Englishpsychiatric units. We administered the Liverpool University SideEffect Rating Scale (LUNSERS) and Glasgow Antipsychotic SideEffect Scale (GASS) to examine patients’ perception of sideeffects.Results: Of 19 patients, the ACB Calculator mean was 6.68 andAEC …

Beyond Skins: The Far-Flung Impacts Of Sea Otter Fur Capitalism, Callie Pappas

Dissertations and Theses

Sea otter fur was one of the first commodities to shape the broader Pacific Ocean trade. As the trade expanded, it became entwined in a global network of commerce that stretched from St. Petersburg to Alaska, from Boston to Astoria, from London to Nootka Sound, and from Hawaii to Canton (China, modern-day Guangzhou). This paper aims not just to view the trade qua trade, but to go Beyond Skins to tell four stories of impacts of sea otter fur capitalism, in the areas of geopolitics, Indigenous cultures, trade in China, and local ecology. Originating in the Pacific Northwest, the sea …

Emotional Intelligence And Wisdom In Christian Leadership, Jamar Baker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research study focused on emotional intelligence and wisdom in Christian leaders. This empirical study assessed if leaders who have a high measurement of emotional intelligence are also wise leaders according to the wisdom measurement scale. This correlational research study sought to determine the correlation between wisdom and emotional intelligence and if age was a moderating factor. It was hypothesized that there is a significant relationship between wisdom and emotional intelligence, and age moderates the relationship. Because there is a paucity of information in the literature concerning these attributes and relationships this research study aimed to explore these effects. The …

Voices Of Change: Narratives Of African Americans And Their Recommendations For Reforming Law Enforcement Practices, Tanisha N. Hines-Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The focus of this study was to explore real-life experiences African Americans have with law enforcement to suggest changes that can be put into action to improve interactions, fairness, and accountability. This study, which makes use of a case study technique, examined perceptions of police interactions and engagement from the viewpoints of community members. The study specifically responded to the following two research questions: 1) What is the narrative of individuals in the African American community regarding law enforcement? 2) What changes do participants suggest are needed to improve interactions and establish a better relationship between the African American community …

The Meaning And Essence Of Rationalizing Workplace Injustice: A Phenomenological Study, Wendy F. Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The extant literature on organizational justice (OJ) involves employee perceptions of fairness and justice in workplace decisions, outcomes, procedures, and interpersonal treatment. This research examined the dark side of these justice dimensions, including injustice acts of discrimination, bias, and unfair treatment. Workplace injustice is not an uncommon occurrence; however, a different reality emerges as employees are rationalizing their experiences. In this context rationalization involves individuals creating plausible explanations to justify the injustice, making it more acceptable and the psychological processes individuals employ through rationalizing. This qualitative study employed an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) examining the lived experiences of 12 participants. …

A Qualitative Study On Investigating The Power Of Scripture To Conquer Depression By The Bible's Psychological Power Among Christians, Joana Okudzeto Biekro

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study investigated Evangelical Christians’ experiences using the Bible as a means of treating their depression in Orange County, CA. Depression is a painful mental illness that affects people all over the world. The rationale of the study is to add knowledge to Christians and thought leaders who seek a cure to the struggle of depression from a Biblical perspective. The research process is presented in the study of depression among Christians. Guided by these three questions, “How do evangelical Christians describe their experiences using the Bible as a means of treating their depression?”, “How do participants describe their …

Impact Of Gamified Elearning On Learning Outcomes For Municipal Employees Aged 50 And Over In Ontario, Canada: An Experimental Study, Cristin Ann Keller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, experimental, causal-comparative, posttest-only, control-group study is to determine if there is a difference in system enjoyment, effort expectancy, and performance expectancy for male and female employees aged 50 years or older at a corporate municipality in Ontario, Canada who participated in eLearning programs with and without game elements. The sample consisted of 38 male and 64 female employees aged 50 years or older who participated in eLearning and then completed an Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology questionnaire. Data from the questionnaires was analyzed using a two-way multivariate analysis of variance. The …

The War Powers Resolution: A Failed Check On Executive Power And A Contributor To U.S. Military Expansion, Melissa A. Cavaliere

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Governmental policies, such as the War Powers Resolution (WPR) of 1973, are comprehensive legislative measures designed to address recurring issues through thorough analysis rather than hasty responses. The WPR emerged from a need to balance power between the executive and legislative branches, particularly in the wake of the Vietnam War. Passed over President Nixon's veto, the WPR mandates that the president consults Congress before deploying U.S. armed forces into situations involving imminent hostilities, requiring this consultation within 48 hours of military action. If troops are deployed, their involvement can last 60 days, extendable to 90 days, unless Congress either approves …

Implementation Of Social Support Assessment In Patients Aged 65 And Older With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus To Improve Treatment Adherence In A Primary Care Setting, Angela Allen-Blaine

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Background: There is a growing number of adults aged 65 years and older living with type 2 diabetes. Research shows this population is at a higher risk of losing independence due to diabetic complications. Social support is a key component to help assist patients with taking medications properly, preparing diabetic meals and monitoring blood glucose. Adequate social support may improve the quality of health and well-being in older adults. Social support is not routinely assessed in primary care, but it is routinely treated. This evidence-based practice project aimed to educate clinicians about social support assessment and facilitate implementation of a …

Societal Gender Norms' Influence On Music Education, Lindsey N. Folsom

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study uses a phenomenological design to answer the question: How do students and educators perceive the influence of gender on instrument choice, ensemble participation, and student socialization opportunities inherent to ensemble participation? The theoretical framework for this study is Lev Vygotsky’s social development theory. Data was collected using interviews and surveys from K-12 teachers and college instructors. The data is analyzed using qualitative methods such as coding and triangulation. The results of this study and its potential to significantly inform and shape music education practices will provide research on teacher and student perspectives on the influence of societal …

The Influence Of Homework On The Learning And Achievement Of Middle School Students In Southern Maryland: A Multiple-Case Study, Andrea J. Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore middle school teachers’ perceptions of how homework influenced academic achievement and student learning in Southern Maryland. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s theory of social knowledge. Bandura suggests that observation, modeling, and role-play are significant in how individuals learn because these direct experiences shift one’s environment. In this study, 14 middle school teachers in Southern Maryland were interviewed, seven of whom were employed at a school with the standard practice of homework, and seven worked at a school with a “No Homework” policy. Data collection, interviews, and questionnaires were …

A Phenomenological Study: The Role Of The Elementary School Counselor, As Perceived By The Elementary School Teacher, Krista L. Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the phenomenological qualitative study is to describe elementary school teachers’ perceptions of the roles and responsibilities of elementary school counselors within the Greenbrier County School District. E. G. Williams’s trait-factor theory is the guiding theory for this study. Three research questions guide this study: How do elementary school teachers perceive the role of school counselors, what roles and responsibilities of elementary school counselors do elementary school teachers feel they utilize most in their school, and what do elementary school teachers perceive to be the needs of their school related to counseling? Eight to fifteen teachers from nine …

Perspectives Of Korean Christian Worshipers On Spontaneous And Liturgical Dance In Worship Engagement, Young Mee Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

While the Bible recognizes dance as a form of worship and certain cultures have embraced it for its potential to deepen faith, dance has experienced restricted acceptance in numerous societies and denominations and has received minimal scholarly attention, limited to the study of liturgical dance. This study explores ways for Korean Christian worship, predominantly characterized by Oriental conservative principles, to consider dance as a regular form of worship expression. Exploring responses in a context where spontaneous dance is seldom studied contributes to a deeper understanding of this dance form as a worship practice. The study involves in-depth interviews with six …

Undergraduate Nursing Students' Perceptions Of Faculty Mentorship For Student Success In Persevering Toward Program Completion: A Qualitative Study, Shirley C. Callihan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory single case study is to explore the undergraduate nursing students' perceptions of faculty mentorship for student success in persevering toward program completion. The theory guiding this study is the Roy Adaptation Model (RAM) by Callista Roy, as it relates to nursing students' adaptation to the challenges in their environment through faculty mentorship. The central question is: What are undergraduate nursing students' perceptions concerning faculty mentorship for student academic success in persevering toward program completion? Convenience sampling was used to recruit ten participants who were undergraduate nursing students from a Registered Nursing program in the …

Makt, Sex, Och Kön: St. Birgitta And Medieval Swedish Politics, Carl Andrew Lund

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Birgitta Birgersdotter (1302/3 – 1373) was a Swedish noblewoman who began reporting repeated heavenly visions beginning shortly after her widowhood in 1344, although tradition came to believe that she had had earlier visions as well. Her visions had a strong religious component. However, they also gave admonishment and advice to powerful leaders throughout medieval Europe, notably Sweden’s king, Magnus IV Eriksson, and his queen consort, Blanche of Namur. Another important motif of the visions was an insistence of the papacy returning to Rome from Avignon. Birgitta was not always taken seriously due to her gender. However, the privilege obtained from …

Exploring The Challenges And Resilience Of Licensed Black Female Counselors In Texas During The Covid-19 Pandemic And George Floyd Era: A Phenomenological Study, Krissandra C. Haynes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the licensed Black female counselors (LBFCs) that provided mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic and George Floyd era. This study was guided by Schlossberg’s transition theory to examine how LBFCs navigated professional and personal transitions during a time marked by collective trauma, public health disparities, and heightened racial tension. Participants described this time of counseling clients through parallel experiences of grief and social unrest while also tending to their wellness. Core themes included the duality of the healer role, significance of spiritual and faith-based coping, influence of social activism, …

In The 21st Century, Poor Communication Within Culturally Diverse And Integrated Ethnic Group Workforce Can Lead To Low Productivity, Resulting In Loss Of Revenue, Ihedi Adugba

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Today, business is conducted on a global scale, and consequently, culturally diverse workforces are becoming increasingly common. The continual increase in global economic integration within the workforce has given rise to a deeper knowledge of the essence of better communication with people of differing cultures and languages. Multiculturalism is made up of diverse cultural value systems. A culturally diverse workforce enhances cultural identity with individuals of different backgrounds expressing diverse points of view. Organizations tend to reach their maximum potential when the strategy of managing a culturally diverse workforce is strictly followed. Based on socio-cultural diversity, organizations can accommodate individuals …

Principal-Agent Theory: An Examination Of Success Variations In Government-Funded Highway Infrastructure Projects In The United States, Felicia Mcintyre

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative, nonexperimental, analytical, and cross-sectional study examined the extent to which procurement models, financial risk allocation, and principal-agent communication complexities influenced the success of government-funded highway infrastructure projects in the United States (US). Data were collected from 84 completed highway infrastructure projects (N = 84) between 2001 and 2024 from the US Major Projects Database. Regression analysis and bootstrapped standard errors showed that the procurement model selected significantly affected project success. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) were shown to effectively reduce time overruns with a strong relationship potential for controlling project time growth. There were no statistically significant indirect effects of …

Complementarianism: A Biblical View Of Women In Ministry, Christopher L. Coleman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Women in ministry is a controversial subject in modern culture. The question surrounding women’s roles in the church remains a point of much debate and intense discussion. While those who subscribe to an egalitarian view believe that women can occupy any role in the church that men can, those who subscribe to a complementarian view believe that women are limited in their function in the church and, therefore, cannot occupy the same roles as men. This project analyzes the role of women throughout the Old and New Testaments from both the complementarian and egalitarian perspectives. It also conducts an exegetical …

A Causal-Comparative Study Between The Aeronautical Decision-Making Skills Of Collegiately And Non-Collegiately Trained Private Pilots, Karl P. Winters

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative design study was to examine the relationship between private pilots’ flight training background (collegiate or non-collegiate) and aeronautical decision-making (ADM) skills among recently certificated private pilots enrolled in a commercial pilot flight training course at a Part 141 flight training program in a large, private, mid-Atlantic university. The problem is that although deficient ADM is a known major contributor to fatal general aviation (GA) accidents, it is unknown if there is a difference in the ADM skills of collegiately and non-collegiately trained private pilots. This study, built on the framework of dual-process theory and …